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Many published articles have documented the impact of prostate-cancer treatment on sexual functioning in men treated for localized disease. Surprisingly, the literature on interventions to rehabilitate men's sexual functioning is much more limited. In this article, we review the sexual-rehabilitation interventions for prostate-cancer patients and identify a number of common themes across interventions. We also identify areas where further research is needed and propose a conceptual model based on psychologic and nursing theories and informed by the published research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used a geographically diverse sample to estimate the total cost of informal care and formal services for community-residing Alzheimer's disease (AD) care recipients. Baseline data were used for 1200 family caregivers from the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health (REACH) study, a multisite intervention trial. The replacement-wage-rate approach estimated informal cost. Formal services were assigned a cost based on secondary sources. Annual cost per care recipient amounted to $23,436 for informal care and $8,064 for formal services. Variation in informal cost was almost entirely due to instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) assistance. Cross-site differences in cost persisted after controlling for caregiver and care-recipient characteristics. Geographic variation may suggest regional preferences or ethnic/cultural values. Further study is needed to determine whether this reflects differences in access or availability or how including a control group for care recipients with nondementia diagnoses might have affected these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on the measurement properties of Caregiver Vigilance, a four-item caregiver self-report of perceived oversight demand for Alzheimer's disease and related disorders family caregiving. The self-report uses data from the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health (REACH) project, a multisite National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored study of over 1,200 family caregivers. Results indicate that the items were clearly understood by the racially/ethnically diverse respondents; and, when responses were transformed into a summary scale and analyzed, unidimensionality was evident and internal consistency reliability favorably demonstrated. We suggest using the Caregiver Vigilance Scale in conjunction with traditional burden measures to systematically include the caregiving time associated with protectively watching over care recipients and the daily duration of this responsibility. We also highlight the practical utility of selected items for potential use in the caregiver assessment process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a virtually delivered psychoeducational skill-building intervention for ADRD caregivers., Methods: A single-arm, pre-posttest pilot study design was employed to evaluate the intervention. Four 90-min group-based weekly sessions were combined with four individual coaching sessions via Zoom. Intervention components covered topics designed to reduce caregiver stress and distress, and a VR experience to help caregivers understand dementia. Data was gathered via REDCap pre- and post-intervention and through post-intervention interviews via Zoom., Results: Results ( N  = 20) from individual interviews, surveys, and treatment implementation strategies suggest strong feasibility and acceptability. Key change exploration indicated medium effect sizes and statistical significance in preparedness for caregiving ( t (19) = 2.69, p  = .015, d  = 63), communication ( t (19) = 2.45, p  = .024, d  = 0.55), and a medium effect size for the mindful attention awareness scale ( t (19) = 0.48, p = (0.637, d  = 0.54). Further, participants reported their perceptions of improvement in outcomes such as the ability to care, increased understanding of memory loss, and confidence., Conclusions: Through Alzheimer's Eyes is a feasible and acceptable intervention that blends technology with skill-building strategies to help caregivers manage their stress and distress regardless of their location., Clinical Implications: There is potential for interventions including VR to assist family caregivers in managing caregiving challenges and improve well-being.

Background: The number of older adults in the U.S. living with ADRD is projected to increase dramatically by 2060. As older adults increasingly assume informal caregiving responsibilities, community-based intervention to sustain caregiver well-being is a dementia research priority., Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of the RWSI among older ADRD caregivers. The RWSI is informed by the Neurovisceral Integration Model, in which memories that engage safety signals cultivate feelings of safety and well-being., Methods: A within-subjects pre/post-intervention design with older ADRD caregivers to evaluate feasibility (acceptability, demand, fidelity) and empirical promise (well-being)., Results: The feasibility of the RWSI, implemented with fidelity, was strongly endorsed, as participants attended each intervention session, after which reported experiencing feelings of warmth and safeness, and provided the highest possible acceptability ratings. Participant narratives provided corroboration., Discussion: Findings support the feasibility of the RWSI in older ADRD caregivers, providing the basis for continued research., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Submission Declaration and Verification: This work has not been published previously, is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, is approved by all authors. If accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: To examine how perceived balance problems are associated with self-reported falls in the past month after controlling for known correlates of falls among older adults., Background: Approximately 30% of adults age 65 and older fall each year. Most accidental falls are preventable, and older adults' engagement in fall prevention is imperative. Limited research suggest that older adults do not use the term 'fall risk' to describe their risk for falls. Instead, they commonly use the term 'balance problems'. Yet, commonly used fall risk assessment tools in both primary and acute care do not assess older adults' perceived balance., Design and Method: The Health Belief Model and the concept of perceived susceptibility served as the theoretical framework. A retrospective, cross-sectional secondary analysis using data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study from year 2015 was conducted. The outcome variable was self-reported falls in the last month., Results: A subsample of independently living participants (N = 7499) was selected, and 10.3% of the sample reported a fall. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds of reporting a fall in the past month was 3.4 times (p < .001) greater for participants who self-reported having a balance problem compared to those who did not. In contrast, fear of falling and perceived memory problems were not uniquely associated with falls. Using a mobility device, reporting pain, poor self-rated health status, depression and anxiety scores were also associated with falling., Conclusion and Implications: Older adults' perceived balance problem is strongly associated with their fall risk. Perceived balance may be important to discuss with older adults to increase identification of fall risk. Older adults' perceived balance should be included in nursing fall risk assessments and fall prevention interventions. A focus on balance may increase older adults' engagement in fall prevention., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects Latinos disproportionately. One of the reasons underlying this disparity may be type 2 diabetes (T2D) that is a risk factor for AD. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of T2D and AD blood biomarkers and the differences in these associations between Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic Whites. This study was a secondary analysis of baseline data from the observational Health and Aging Brain Study: Health Disparities (HABS-HD) that investigated factors underlying health disparities in AD in Mexican Americans in comparison to non-Hispanic Whites. HABS-HD participants were excluded if they had missing data or were large outliers (z-scores >|4|) on a given AD biomarker. Fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were measured from clinical labs. T2D was diagnosed by licensed clinicians. Plasma amyloid-beta 42 and 40 (Aβ42/42) ratio, total tau (t-tau), and neurofilament light (NfL) were measured via ultra-sensitive Simoa assays. The sample sizes were 1,552 for Aβ42/40 ratio, 1,570 for t-tau, and 1,553 for NfL. Mexican Americans were younger (66.6±8.7 vs. 69.5±8.6) and had more female (64.9% female vs. 55.1%) and fewer years of schooling (9.5±4.6 vs. 15.6±2.5) than non-Hispanic Whites. Mexican Americans differed significantly from non-Hispanic Whites in blood glucose (113.5±36.6 vs. 99.2±17.0) and HbA1c (6.33±1.4 vs. 5.51±0.6) levels, T2D diagnosis (35.3% vs. 11.1%), as well as blood Aβ42/40 ratio (.051±.012 vs. .047±.011), t-tau (2.56±.95 vs. 2.33±.90), and NfL levels (16.3±9.5 vs. 20.3±10.3). Blood glucose, blood HbA1c, and T2D diagnosis were not related to Aβ42/40 ratio and t-tau but explained 3.7% of the variation in NfL (p < .001). Blood glucose and T2D diagnosis were not, while HbA1c was positively (b = 2.31, p < .001, β = 0.26), associated with NfL among Mexican Americans. In contrast, blood glucose, HbA1c, and T2D diagnosis were negatively (b = -0.09, p < .01, β = -0.26), not (b = 0.34, p = .71, β = 0.04), and positively (b = 3.32, p < .01, β = 0.33) associated with NfL, respectively in non-Hispanic Whites. To conclude, blood glucose and HbA1c levels and T2D diagnosis are associated with plasma NfL levels, but not plasma Aβ and t-tau levels. These associations differ in an ethnicity-specific manner and need to be further studied as a potential mechanism underlying AD disparities., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Yu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Objectives: To examine the extent to which older adults' perceived balance, a balance performance test, and fear of falling (FOF) were associated with falls in the last month. Methods: The Health Belief Model served as the theoretical framework. A retrospective, cross-sectional, secondary analysis using data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study was conducted ( N = 7499). Results: Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds of reporting a fall in the past month were 3.3 times ( p < .001) greater for participants who self-reported having a balance problem compared to those who did not. The Short Physical Performance Battery and FOF were not uniquely associated with falls. Discussion: Our findings support limited evidence suggesting that older adults' perceived balance is a better predictor of falls than balance performance. Assessing older adults' perceived balance may be a new way to assess older adults' fall risk to prevent future falls., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Black/African American women represent 54% of new HIV cases among all women in the United States, face higher rates of morbidity and mortality, and are often understudied. The patient-provider relationship is an important motivator to keeping people who live with HIV retained in care and adherent to a medical regimen, thereby improving chances for viral suppression and maintaining overall better health. This scoping review sought to determine the extent of documented provider actions that encourage Black women with HIV to stay engaged in care. The review investigated five databases for peer-reviewed studies in the United States that included Black women from 2009 to 2023 and specifically described beneficial provider actions or behaviors. Of 526 records, 12 met the criteria. Studies revealed that women are motivated by providers who create a respectful, nonjudgmental emotionally supportive relationship with them rather than those who rely on an authoritative transactional exchange of information and orders., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Maintaining brain health and promoting healthy lifestyle strategies to manage modifiable risk factors is vital to ensuring well-being for all - not only for the individuals with memory challenges but also their family caregivers and professional providers. In this brief review paper, we highlight modifiable risk and protective factors and opportunities for dementia risk reduction (e.g., limited alcohol use and reduced exposure to air pollution, secondhand smoke, and excessive noise); provide an overview of the World-Wide FINGERS Network and its goal to adapt the original Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) multidomain lifestyle approach in various settings to determine whether the protocol is effective across different populations in varied geographic, cultural, and economic settings and to optimize the model across a continuum of cognitive decline; and, comment on challenges and opportunities for researchers and clinicians including opportunities for risk reduction and intervention in primary care settings and the need to establish linkages across multiple levels of intervention to sustain behavior change in prevention, treatment, and care.

The population of older adults worldwide is growing, with an urgent need for approaches that develop and maintain intrinsic capacity consistent with healthy aging. Theory and empirical research converge on feeling safe as central to healthy aging. However, there has been limited attention to resources that cultivate feeling safe to support healthy aging. Nostalgia, "a sentimental longing for one's past," is established as a source of comfort in response to social threat, existential threat, and self-threat. Drawing from extant theory and research, we build on these findings to position nostalgia as a regulatory resource that cultivates feeling safe and contributes to intrinsic capacity to support healthy aging. Using a narrative review method, we: (a) characterize feeling safe as a distinct affective dimension, (b) summarize the character of nostalgia in alignment with feeling safe, (c) propose a theoretical account of the mechanisms through which nostalgia cultivates feeling safe, (d) highlight the contribution of nostalgia to feeling safe and emotional, physiological, and behavioral regulatory capabilities in healthy aging, and (e) offer conclusions and direction for research., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Fleury, Sedikides, Wildschut, Coon and Komnenich.)

Background: Dyads receiving palliative care for advanced heart failure are at risk for the loss of feeling safe, experienced as a fractured sense of coherence, discontinuity in sense of self and relationships, and strained social connections and altered roles. However, few theory-based interventions have addressed feeling safe in this vulnerable population., Purpose: The purpose of this article is to describe the development of the Nostalgic Remembering Intervention to strengthen feeling safe and promote adaptive physiological and psychological regulation in dyads receiving palliative care for heart failure., Conclusions: Systematic intervention development is essential to understand what, for whom, why, and how an intervention works in producing outcomes. Program theory provided a systematic approach to the development of the Nostalgic Remembering Intervention, including conceptualization of the problem targeted by the intervention, specification of critical inputs and conditions that operationalize the intervention, and understanding the mediating processes leading to expected outcomes., Clinical Implications: Creating a foundation for cardiovascular nursing research and practice requires continued, systematic development of theory-based interventions to best meet the needs of dyads receiving palliative care for heart failure. The development of the Nostalgic Remembering Intervention to strengthen feeling safe in dyads provides a novel and relevant approach., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The first COVID-19 case in the US was diagnosed late January 2020. In the subsequent months, cases grew exponentially. By March 2020, SARS-CoV-2 (the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19) was a global pandemic and the US declared a national emergency. To mitigate transmission, federal guidelines were established for social and physical distancing. These events disrupted daily routines of individuals around the world, including Americans. The impact of the pandemic on PA patterns of Americans is largely unknown, especially among those at greater risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess levels of PA over time during the pandemic among US adults aged >50 years. Methods: Data were collected as part of a web-based, longitudinal, 3-wave study examining health and well-being among adults aged > 50. PA data were collected at Waves 2 and 3 using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF). At Wave 2 (conducted mid-May to early June, 2020), participants completed the IPAQ-SF twice, once in reference to a typical 7-day period before the pandemic, and again in reference to the past 7 days. At Wave 3 (conducted mid-June to early July 2020), participants completed the IPAQ-SF once, with reference to the past 7 days. Potential predictors of PA change were collected using items from previously established surveys and included demographic characteristics, pre-pandemic PA levels, perceived COVID-19 threat, self-rated general health, and number of chronic disease conditions. Results: Respondents ( N = 589) had a mean age of 63 ± 7.39 years and were mostly female (88%) and non-Hispanic White (96%). Mean MET-min/week across the three time-referents were 2,904 (pre-pandemic), 1,682 (Wave 2 past 7-days), and 2,001 (Wave 3 past 7-days), with PA declining between the first and second time referents ( d = -0.45, p < 0.001) and remaining below pre-pandemic levels at the third ( d = -0.34, p < 0.001). Changes over time were predicted by pre-pandemic PA and self-rated general health ( p's < .05). Conclusions: Effective strategies are needed to promote safe and socially-distanced PA among adults aged >50 years until the risk of contracting COVID-19 subsides. In the post-pandemic era, PA programming will be imperative to address pandemic-associated declines in PA., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Joseph, Pituch, Guest, Maxfield, Peckham, Coon, Kim and Langer.)

Objectives: This study examined the efficacy of the General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition-Chinese version (GPCOG-C) in screening dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among older Chinese., Methods: Survey questionnaires were administered to 293 participants aged 80 or above from a university hospital in mainland China. Alzheimer disease and MCI were diagnosed in light of the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association (NIA/AA) criteria. The sensitivity and specificity of GPCOG-C and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in screening dementia and MCI were compared to the NIA/AA criteria., Results: The GPCOG-C had the sensitivity of 62.3% and specificity of 84.6% in screening MCI, which had comparable efficacy as the NIA/AA criteria. In screening dementia, GPCOG-C had a lower sensitivity (63.7%) than the MMSE and a higher specificity (82.6%) higher than the MMSE., Conclusions: The GPCOG-C is a useful and efficient tool to identify dementia and MCI in older Chinese in outpatient clinical settings.

Background: The Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) has become one of the most widely used cognitive screening instruments since its initial publication. To date, only a handful of studies have explored longitudinal characteristics of the MoCA., Aim: The aim of this study is to characterize the trajectory of MoCA performance across a broad age continuum of older adults., Methods: Data from 467 cognitively normal participants were used in this analysis. The sample was grouped into four strata based on the participants' age at baseline (60-69, 70-79, 80-89, and 90-99). Mixed model repeated measures (MMRM) analysis and mixed-effects spline models were used to characterize the trajectory of MoCA scores in each age stratum and in the entire sample. Intrasubject standard deviation (ISD) was used to characterize the natural variability of individual MoCA performance over time., Results: The ISD values for each of the age strata indicated that year-to-year individual variation on the MoCA ranged from zero to three points. MMRM analysis showed that the 60-69 stratum remained relatively stable over time while the 70-79 and 80-89 strata both showed notable decline relative to baseline performance. The mixed-effects spline model showed that MoCA performance declines linearly across the older adult age span., Discussion: Among cognitively normal older adults MoCA performance remains relatively stable over time, however across the older adult age-span MoCA performance declines in a linear fashion. These results will help clinicians better understand the normal course of MoCA change in older adults while researchers may use these results to inform sample size estimates for intervention studies., Conclusion: This study provides an enhanced view of the MoCA's intraindividual trajectory in normal elderly aged 60 and older.

Purpose: Specific stressors associated with caregiving in Mexican American (MA) families are not well documented, yet caregiving issues are paramount because informal care for parents is central to their culture. Although MA families who band together to provide care for one member are not unique, the literature does not describe the phenomenon of collective caregiving, which may be widespread but unrecognized. This article describes these understudied families who are poorly served by contemporary health systems because their characteristics are unknown., Design: Descriptive, multisite, longitudinal mixed-methods study of MA caregiving families., Findings: We identified three types of collective caregivers: those providing care for multiple family members simultaneously, those providing care successively to several family members, and/or those needing care themselves during their caregiving of others., Discussion and Conclusions: Collective caregiving of MA elders warrants further investigation., Implications for Practice: Exploration of collective caregiving may provide a foundation for tailored family interventions.

Objective: To gain an understanding of Latino/Hispanic caregivers' dementia-related dressing issues, their impressions of using a "smart" context-aware dresser to coach dressing, and recommendations to improve its acceptability., Method: The same Latina moderator conducted all the caregiver focus groups. She followed a semi-structured interview guide that was previously used with White and African American family caregivers who experienced Alzheimer's disease related dressing challenges. From that study, the Preservation of Self model emerged. Using a deductive qualitative analytic approach, we applied the thematic domains from the Preservation of Self model to ascertain relevance to Latino/Hispanic caregivers., Results: Twenty Latino/Hispanic experienced caregivers were recruited, enrolled, and participated in one of three focus groups. The majority were female (75%) and either the spouse (25%) or adult child (35%). Striking similarities occurred with the dressing challenges and alignment with the Preservation of Self model. Ethnic differences arose in concerns over assimilation weakening the Latino culture of family caregiving. Regional clothing preferences were noted. Technology improvement recommendations for our system, called DRESS, included developing bilingual prompting dialogs and video modules using the local vernacular to improve cultural sensitivity. Caregivers identified the potential for the technology to enable user privacy, empowerment, and exercise as well as offering respite time for themselves., Conclusion: Findings suggest dementia-related dressing issues were shared in common by different racial/ethnic groups but the response to them was influenced by cultural dynamics. For the first time Latino/Hispanic voices are heard to reflect their positive technology impressions, concerns, and recommendations in order to begin to address the cultural digital disparities divide., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Palliative and end-of-life care (PEOLC) in Mexican American (MA) caregiving families remains unexplored. Its onset was uncovered in our mixed methods, multisite, interdisciplinary, qualitative descriptive study of 116 caregivers, most of whom had provided long-term informal home care for chronically ill, disabled older family members. This subanalysis used Life Course Perspective to examine the "point of reckoning" in these families, where an older person is taken in for care, or care escalates until one recognizes oneself as the primary caregiver. Ninety-three of 116 caregivers recognized and spontaneously reported a "reckoning point" that initiated the caregiving trajectory, while eight cited "gradual decline" into caregiving for elders in their homes. This "reckoning point," which marks the assumption of this role, may afford a fertile opportunity for referral to community resources or initiation of formal PEOLC, thereby improving the quality of life for these older individuals and their families., (© The Author(s) 2016.)

The purpose of this article is to describe the Longevity Study: Learning From Our Elders, a research program on healthy aging that began in 2007 at the Center for Healthy Aging at Banner Sun Health Research Institute. As of June 2015, 1139 participants (age range of 50-110 years) completed baseline assessments with the majority living in the Sun Cities retirement communities northwest of Phoenix, Arizona but expanding throughout the state. The registry includes over 830 currently active participants with 450 aged 80 years and older, 188 aged 90 and older, and 27 centenarians. Data from in-person interviews at the Center for Healthy Aging in Sun City or in the participants' residences which includes sociodemographic, medical, cognitive, physical and psychosocial variables have been collected since the study's inception. This paper outlines some of the key demographic and clinical characteristics of the Longevity Study, its progress, and future directions. It also reflects on how exceptional aging individuals function psychosocially, cognitively and physically, particularly among individuals aged 85 and older.

Some individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) experience not only cognitive deficits but also a decline in motor function, including postural balance. This pilot study sought to estimate the feasibility, user experience, and effects of a novel sensor-based balance training program. Patients with amnestic MCI (mean age 78.2 yr) were randomized to an intervention group (IG, n = 12) or control group (CG, n = 10). The IG underwent balance training (4 wk, twice a week) that included weight shifting and virtual obstacle crossing. Real-time visual/audio lower-limb motion feedback was provided from wearable sensors. The CG received no training. User experience was measured by a questionnaire. Postintervention effects on balance (center of mass sway during standing with eyes open [EO] and eyes closed), gait (speed, variability), cognition, and fear of falling were measured. Eleven participants (92%) completed the training and expressed fun, safety, and helpfulness of sensor feedback. Sway (EO, p = 0.04) and fear of falling (p = 0.02) were reduced in the IG compared to the CG. Changes in other measures were nonsignificant. Results suggest that the sensor-based training paradigm is well accepted in the target population and beneficial for improving postural control. Future studies should evaluate the added value of the sensor-based training compared to traditional training.

Objectives: Guided by a Sociocultural Health Belief Model (SHBM), this study examined the roles of cultural beliefs of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and scientific knowledge of AD in influencing the perceived threat of AD in a sample of Chinese American older adults., Method: With the input from focus groups of 17 older Chinese volunteers, survey questionnaires were refined and then delivered through face-to-face interviews to 385 participants aged 55-100 in the Phoenix metropolitan area., Results: Hierarchical regression analyses found that those aged 55-64 were more worried about AD than those aged 85 or older. Both cultural beliefs of AD and AD factual knowledge contributed to higher levels of perceived threat of AD. Education tended to moderate the effect of cultural beliefs of AD and AD knowledge on perceived threat of AD., Discussions: Findings support inclusion of key factors in the SHBM relevant to perceived threat of AD and help enrich the understanding of AD literacy from both scientific and cultural perspectives. AD education programs and interventions should help address crucial cultural beliefs related to AD and the emotional consequences (e.g., concerns or fear of AD) that might be due to the exposure to AD factual knowledge, particularly for those with limited education., (© The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The original validation study for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) suggests a cutoff score of 26; however, this may be too stringent for older adults, particularly for those with less education. Given the rapidly increasing number of older adults and associated risk of dementia, this study aims to provide appropriate age- and education-adjusted norms for the MoCA. Data from 205 participants in an ongoing longevity study were used to derive normative data. Individuals were grouped based on age (70-79, 80-89, 90-99) and education level (≤12 Years, 13-15, ≥16 Years). There were significant differences between age and education groups with younger and more educated participants outperforming their counterparts. Forty-six percent of our sample scored below the suggested cutoff of 26. These normative data may provide a more accurate representation of MoCA performance in older adults for specific age and education stratifications.

Introduction: Gay men with prostate cancer (GMPCa) may have differential health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and sexual health outcomes than heterosexual men with prostate cancer (PCa), but existing information is based on clinical experience and small studies., Aims: Our goals were to: (i) describe HRQOL and examine changes in sexual functioning and bother; (ii) explore the psychosocial aspects of sexual health after PCa; and (iii) examine whether there were significant differences on HRQOL and sexual behavior between GMPCa and published norms., Methods: A convenience sample of GMPCa completed validated disease-specific and general measures of HRQOL, ejaculatory function and bother, fear of cancer recurrence, and satisfaction with prostate cancer care. Measures of self-efficacy for PCa management, illness intrusiveness, and disclosure of sexual orientation were also completed. Where possible, scores were compared against published norms., Main Outcome Measures: Main outcome measures were self-reported sexual functioning and bother on the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index., Results: Compared with norms, GMPCa reported significantly worse functioning and more severe bother scores on urinary, bowel, hormonal symptom scales (Ps < 0.015-0.0001), worse mental health functioning (P < 0.0001), greater fear of cancer recurrence (P < 0.0001), and were more dissatisfied with their PCa medical care. However, GMPCa reported better sexual functioning scores (P < 0.002) compared with norms. Many of the observed differences met criteria for clinical significance. Physical functioning HRQOL and sexual bother scores were similar to that of published samples. GMPCa tended to be more "out" about their sexual orientation than other samples of gay men., Conclusions: GMPCa reported substantial changes in sexual functioning after PCa treatment. They also reported significantly worse disease-specific and general HRQOL, fear of recurrence, and were less satisfied with their medical care than other published PCa samples. Sexual health providers must have an awareness of the unique functional and HRQOL differences between gay and heterosexual men with PCa., (© 2014 International Society for Sexual Medicine.)

This mixed methods, multi-site, National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)-funded, interdisciplinary, descriptive study aimed to identify expressions of worry in qualitative data obtained from caregiving Mexican American (MA) families assisting older adults. The purpose of this portion of the inquiry was to determine how worry is expressed, what happens to caregivers when they worry, and what adaptive strategies they used. We examined semi-structured interviews completed during six in-home visits with 116 caregivers. We identified 366 worry quotations from 639 primary documents in ATLAS.ti, entered them into matrices, and organized findings under thematic statements. Caregivers expressed cultural and contextual worries, worried about transitions and turning points in care, and identified adaptive strategies. Despite these strategies, worry persisted. Constant worry may be an allied, important aspect of caregiver burden. We need additional longitudinal research to better understand the experience of MA caregivers for older adults and to provide empirically supported interventions, programs, and services that reduce worry.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of changing sleep patterns and common sleep disorders in older adults and to discuss treatment options of sleep disturbances within inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs)., Methods: Through extensive review of the existing literature, common sleep disorders among older adults and several key factors that may impact sleep in older adults in inpatient rehabilitation facilities, such as behavioral and environmental factors, psychosocial and emotional factors, medical conditions, and medications were identified., Findings: Current literature on the factors associated with sleep disturbance in older adults in IRFs is based on work with community-dwelling older adults and those in long-term care facilities. While interventions to address these disorders and research investigation key factors associated with sleep problems among older adults appear in the literature, there is very little work that applies these interventions within IRFs., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Research is needed to examine the impact of sleep problems on older adults in IRFs, including work that focuses on intervention trials to identify successful treatments for these problems and translate those approaches into practice., (© 2013 Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.)

Introduction: A growing literature suggests relationships between erectile dysfunction medications (EDM) and riskier sexual behavior among men who have sex with men (MSM). Questions remain concerning EDM use and related HIV/sexually transmitted infections (STI) risk among older MSM, particularly those 40 years and over, for whom EDM may be medically warranted., Aim: This exploratory pilot study explores the relationship between EDM and risky sexual behavior in a convenience sample of MSM using EDM and attending historic sex-on-premises venues., Methods: We examined anonymous surveys from 139 MSM. Bivariate relationships were examined. We then fit a multiple logistic regression model to determine predictors of engaging in unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) at last EDM, using variables identified as being significantly related to UAI in the bivariate analyses. Potential predictors entered the model in a stepwise fashion., Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measure was engaging in UAI at last EDM use., Results: MSM participating in the study ranged from 27 to 77 years and averaged 52.0 years (standard deviation = 10.73 years). These participants were primarily older MSM; fewer were younger MSM (12.12%), under age 40. Participants reporting UAI at last EDM use (N = 41) were significantly younger (P < 0.01). Men visiting bars within the last 6 months reported less UAI (P < 0.01). Both variables were independent predictors of UAI in the logistic regression model (P < 0.01)., Conclusions: Similar to reports from younger MSM, our findings suggest older MSM using EDM and reporting UAI are also recreational drug users. We include recommendations for urologists and other sexual medicine physicians treating MSM who may be at elevated risk for HIV/STI infection because of joint EDM and club drug use., (© 2012 International Society for Sexual Medicine.)

La familia drives elder care in Mexican-American (MA) families, but nursing home placement can result from day-to-day caregiving demands that increase caregiver difficulty with activities of daily living (ADLs). Using life course perspective, this article describes the initial data wave of 31 MA caregivers from a descriptive, longitudinal, mixed-methods study of 110 MA caregivers and care recipients over 15 months in their caregiving trajectories. Fifteen of 31 caregivers consistently indicated "no help needed" on the Katz ADL, whereas all but one reported "help needed" during semistructured interviews with cultural brokers. In addition to the discrepancy between results on the Katz ADL and interviews, findings include consideration of nursing home placement by moderately acculturated caregivers and minimization of their illnesses by caregivers. Additional methods of MA caregiver assessment may be needed due to the questionable accuracy of the Katz ADL; additional research should explore minimization and acculturation in MA caregivers.

There is a growing acceptance of the utility of mixed methods in health sciences but there is no widely accepted set of ideas in regard to use of a conceptual or theoretical framework to guide inquiry. Few mixed methods health science articles report the use of such a framework. Lack of available conceptual maps provided by theoretical frameworks, necessary intricacy of design, and the qualitative "black box" tradition all contribute to a dearth of methodological guidance in such studies. This article uses a funded National Institutes of Health study as an example to explain the utility of a theoretical framework in conceptualizing a study, making design decisions such as sampling and recruitment, collecting and analyzing data, and data interpretation.

Family caregivers of older adults with significant cognitive and/or physical impairment are at increased risk for both psychiatric and physical morbidity. This article examines the research literature dedicated to the development of effective interventions to reduce distress and enhance well-being for these caregivers. Using a recent empirically based treatment (EBT) review of the literature as a backdrop, 3 overarching types of interventions were described as effective: psychoeducational skill building, psychotherapy (cognitive-behavioral in focus), and multicomponent (using a combination of at least 2 approaches such as education, family meetings, and skill building). Suggestions are made to facilitate future caregiver intervention research and translation of EBTs into the community including the need to expand rigorous research with caregivers of older adults facing problems other than dementia, including older patients with psychiatric problems; develop and test interventions designed for transitions into and out of the caregiving roles, as well as interventions designed to improve physical health outcomes and promote health behaviors; create linkages between interventions at multiple levels of delivery; extend caregiver intervention work with underrepresented ethnic and racial populations; and investigate the cost-effectiveness of caregiver interventions.

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the synchronous and temporal relations between engagement in activities and the two primary dimensions of affect--namely, positive and negative affect--using an intensive time-series design called concomitant time series analysis (CTSA). Twenty-four dementia caregivers completed 56 diary measures (4 times per day for 2 weeks) assessing their experience of positive and negative affect as well as engagement in a variety of activities. Total number of activities was significantly correlated with positive affect (r=.40), but not negative affect (r=-.12). Obtained pleasure from activities was significantly correlated with both positive (r=.42) and negative affect (r=-.17). These results may help further develop behavioral models of depression by suggesting that behavioral or self-reinforcing activities are associated primarily (or more saliently) with one's experience of positive affect. Future research examining the effect of behavioral interventions on both positive and negative affect is suggested, as is the examination of factors that may be more strongly associated with negative affect.

Objectives: To examine the cost-effectiveness of a randomized, clinical trial of a home-based intervention for caregivers of people with dementia., Design: This cost-effectiveness analysis examined Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregivers Health (REACH II), a multisite, randomized, clinical trial, from June 2002 through December 2004, funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Nursing Research, of a behavioral intervention to decrease caregivers' stress and improve management of care recipient behavioral problems., Setting: Community-dwelling dementia caregiving dyads from the Memphis REACH II site., Participants: Of Memphis' random sample of 55 intervention and 57 control black and white dyads, 46 in each arm completed without death or discontinuation. Family caregivers were aged 21 and older, lived with the care recipient, and had provided 4 or more hours of care per day for 6 months or longer. Care recipients were cognitively and functionally impaired., Intervention(s): Twelve individual sessions (9 home sessions and 3 telephone sessions) supplemented by five telephone support-group sessions. Control caregivers received two "check in" phone calls., Measurements: Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), the additional cost to bring about one additional unit of benefit (hours per day of providing care)., Results: At 6 months, there was a significant difference between intervention caregivers and control caregivers in hours providing care (P=.01). The ICER showed that intervention caregivers had 1 extra hour per day not spent in caregiving, at a cost of $5 per day., Conclusion: The intervention provided that most scarce of caregiver commodities--time. The emotional and physical costs of dementia caregiving are enormous, and this intervention was able to alleviate some of that cost.

Thirteen percent of Hispanic households provide care to an adult aged 50 or older, but given their dramatic population growth, an increasingly large number of families will soon be placed in a caregiving role. The purpose of this study was to determine whether Hispanic caregivers could be accessed through local provider groups, with the goal of generating interventions to decrease caregiver burden. Study findings raise Anglo nurses' awareness of the need for staff who share the values and language of diverse subgroups. Second, they confirm the presence of male caregivers, sons who alone provide personal care to a parent. Lastly, the effect of empathetic, informal interactions and personal stories in communication with Hispanics cannot be overstated. We believe that our findings are of interest to clinicians who help Hispanic families access community care agencies and, conversely, will help community agencies identify families who need assistance and clinical researchers who are seeking study participants.

Objectives: An abridged version of the 25-item Male Sexual Health Questionnaire (MSHQ) was developed and validated (MSHQ-EjD Short Form) for assessing ejaculatory dysfunction (EjD)., Methods: The MSHQ was administered to 1245 men in the Men's Sexual Health Population Survey, 179 gay/bisexual men in the Urban Men's Health Study, and 6909 men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in the BPH Registry & Patient Survey. Factor analysis, scale reliability, construct and discriminant validity, and the correlation between the MSHQ-EjD Short Form and the MSHQ ejaculatory function domain were assessed., Results: Factor loadings of greater than 0.5 were demonstrated for four ejaculatory function items (force, volume, frequency, and delay). The force and volume of ejaculation had the greatest factor loadings (range 0.77 to 0.81), followed by frequency of ejaculation (0.64 and 0.66). These three ejaculatory function items had a high degree of internal consistency (Cronbach alpha > or = 0.78) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.72). The three items discriminated between men with none/mild LUTS and those with moderate/severe LUTS (P <0.001). After adjusting for age, depression, and erectile function, the odds ratio for a diagnosis of moderate/severe LUTS was 0.68 (95% confidence interval 0.49 to 0.96; P <0.05). The three items had a correlation coefficient of 0.95 with the 7-item MSHQ ejaculatory function domain. The MSHQ ejaculation bother item, an independent domain, showed moderate correlation with the three ejaculatory function items (r = -0.41 and r = -0.45)., Conclusions: The results of our study have shown that the MSHQ-EjD Short Form, with three ejaculatory function items and one ejaculation bother item, has excellent psychometric properties and should be a useful instrument for assessing EjD in clinical and research settings.

This review identifies evidence-based psychological treatments (EBTs) for reducing distress, and improving well-being, of family members caring for an older relative with significant cognitive and/or physical impairment. Three categories of psychologically derived treatments met EBT criteria: psychoeducational programs (N = 14 studies), psychotherapy (N = 3 studies), and multicomponent interventions (N = 2 studies). Specifically, support within the psychoeducational category was found for skill-training programs focused on behavior management, depression management, and anger management and for the progressively lowered threshold model. Within the psychotherapy category, cognitive-behavioral therapy enjoys strong empirical support. Within the multicomponent category, programs using a combination of at least 2 distinct theoretical approaches (e.g., individual counseling and support group attendance) were also found to be effective. Suggestions for future research include the development of more well-integrated multicomponent approaches, greater inclusion of ethnically diverse family caregivers in research protocols, and greater incorporation of new technologies for treatment delivery., (((c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved).)

This study performed moderator analyses to determine if self-efficacy predicted differential outcome in a randomized trial comparing a cognitive behavior psychoeducational intervention and an enhanced support group (ESG). The four key outcomes were depression, anxiety, social support, and coping. Low baseline self-efficacy scores were hypothesized to be more predictive of positive response in the psychoeducational intervention than in the support group. Change from pre- to posttreatment (baseline to three months) for 213 female caregivers of older adult relatives with dementia (122 Anglos and 91 Latinos) are presented. Caregivers were randomly assigned to either the coping with caregiving class (CWC), a skill-building, small group intervention designed to reduce caregiving stress, or to an enhanced support group (ESG), which used guided discussion and empathic listening to develop within-group reciprocal support. The findings showed that low baseline self-efficacy scores better predicted positive response to treatment in the CWC intervention than in the ESG intervention. This study supports the use of self-efficacy as a screening tool for appropriate caregiver intervention assignment.

Background: Psychosocial and behavioral interventions trials targeting a broad range of complex social and behavioral problems such as smoking, obesity and family caregiving have proliferated in the past 30 years. At the same time the use of Data and Safety Monitoring Boards (DSMBs) to monitor the progress and quality of intervention trials and the safety of study participants has increased substantially. Most of the existing literature and guidelines for safety monitoring and reporting of adverse events focuses on medical interventions. Consequently, there is little guidance for investigators conducting social and behavior trials., Purpose: This paper summarizes how issues associated with safety monitoring and adverse event reporting were handled in the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health (REACH II) program, a multi-site randomized clinical trial, funded by the National Institutes on Aging (NIA) and the National Institutes of Nursing Research (NINR), that tested the efficacy of a multicomponent social/behavioral intervention for caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease., Methods: A task force was formed to define adverse events for the trial and protocols for reporting and resolving events that occurred. The task force conducted a review of existing polices and protocols for data and safety monitoring and adverse event reporting and identified potential risks particular to the study population. An informal survey regarding data and safety monitoring procedures with investigators on psychosocial intervention trials was also conducted., Results: Two categories of events were defined for both caregivers and patients; adverse events and safety alerts. A distinction was also made between events detected at baseline assessment and those detected post-randomization. Standardized protocols were also developed for the reporting and resolution of events that occurred and training of study personnel. Results from the informal survey indicated wide variability in practices for data safety and monitoring across psychosocial intervention trials., Conclusions: Overall, the REACH II experience demonstrates that existing guidelines regarding safety monitoring and adverse event reporting pose unique challenges for social/behavioral intervention trials. Challenges encountered in the REACH II program included defining and classifying adverse events, defining "resolution" of adverse events and attributing causes for events that occurred. These challenges are highlighted and recommendations for addressing them in future studies are discussed.

Objective: Latino family caregivers of older people with memory problems are a rapidly growing group. However, their participation in intervention research is disproportionately low. The authors compared the participant retention rates of three different recruitment strategies in a sample of Latino and Caucasian family caregivers., Methods: A total of 310 caregivers (195 Latino and 105 Caucasian) were screened for participation in one of two clinical intervention trials. Potential participants were recruited from one of three sources: 1) non-professional (e.g., health fairs); 2) professional (e.g., community agencies); and 3) advertisements. Reasons for non-participation were also obtained., Results: Caucasians were significantly more likely to be successfully retained across all recruitment strategies (52% versus 31%, respectively). However, logistic regression revealed a recruitment strategy-by-ethnicity interaction: Latinos were highly similar in retention rates to Caucasians when recruited through professional referrals, and far less likely to participate with other strategies. Descriptive analyses also revealed ethnic differences for non-participation., Conclusion: Partnership of Latino family caregivers with community agencies may result in the highest recruitment rates among this group. Latino cultural values likely play a role in the success of these partnerships in participant recruitment.

Objectives: To compare rates of institutionalization of dementia patients cared for by Latina and Caucasian female caregivers and to explore which caregiver and care-recipient characteristics predicted institutionalization., Design: Longitudinal., Setting: San Francisco Bay area, California., Participants: Two hundred sixty-four female caregivers of dementia patients (154 Caucasian women, 110 Latinas) who participated in an intervention project designed to reduce caregiver stress and may represent a sample that is more stressed and motivated than a general sample of caregivers., Measurements: Number of days between baseline interview and institutionalization was recorded over an 18-month period. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with the log rank statistic was used to test for ethnic differences in time to institutionalization. Cox regression analyses were conducted to determine whether care-recipient or caregiver characteristics (e.g., care-recipient age and memory and behavior problems; caregiver depression, years of education, income, and views of the caregiving role) significantly interacted with ethnicity to explain time to institutionalization., Results: Latinas delayed institutionalization significantly longer than their Caucasian counterparts; care-recipient characteristics or caregiver demographics did not explain these results, although Latinas who identified greater benefits or more-positive aspects of the caregiving process at baseline were less likely to institutionalize their loved one than those who reported fewer benefits of caregiving. Less-acculturated Latinas were significantly more likely to identify positive aspects of caregiving than more-acculturated Latinas., Conclusion: Latina dementia caregivers delay institutionalization significantly longer than female Caucasian caregivers. In addition, Latino cultural values and positive views of the caregiving role are important factors that may significantly influence their decision to institutionalize loved ones with dementia.

While there has been considerable interest in studying ethnically diverse family caregivers, few studies have investigated the influence of dementia caregiving on Latino families. The current study includes participants from two sites of the REACH (Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health) project to compare well-being, appraisal, and religiosity by ethnicity, with specific attention to levels of acculturation. Latina (n = 191) and Caucasian female (n = 229) dementia family caregivers from two regions of the United States (Miami, Florida and Northern California) were compared at baseline on demographics, care recipient characteristics, mental and physical health, and psychosocial resources, including appraisal style and religiosity. Latina caregivers reported lower appraisals of stress, greater perceived benefits of caregiving, and greater use of religious coping than Caucasian caregivers. The relationship of these variables to level of acculturation for the Latina caregivers was also explored. Implications of these results for psychosocial interventions with Latino and Caucasian family caregivers are discussed., (Copyright Taylor & Francis Ltd)

Although there has been considerable interest in racial differences in family caregiving for persons with dementia, most research to date has either ignored racial diversity or based conclusions on small numbers of caregivers drawn primarily from single site studies. The current study utilized participants from four sites of the REACH (Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health) multi-site study to compare well-being, appraisal, and religious coping by race. African-American (n = 295) and Caucasian (n = 425) dementia caregivers from four cities (Birmingham, Memphis, Boston, and Philadelphia) were compared in their demographics, care recipient characteristics, mental and physical health, and psychosocial coping resources including appraisal and religious coping. African-American caregivers reported lower anxiety, better well-being, less use of psychotropic medications, more benign appraisals of stress and perceived benefits of caregiving, and greater religious coping and participation, than Caucasian caregivers. Self-rated health did not differ by race, but African-American caregivers reported more unhealthy behaviors than Caucasian caregivers. Some results were specific to site, possibly due to differences in recruitment strategies, inclusion/exclusion criteria, and regional differences. Adjustment for covariates, including caregiver relationship to the care recipient, gender, age, socioeconomic status, and care recipient behavioral problems, altered few of these differences. Results are discussed in terms of their relevance to psychosocial intervention programs for ethnically diverse caregivers., (Copyright Taylor & Francis Ltd)

Objective: The long-term effect of counseling and support on symptoms of depression was examined in spouse-caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease., Method: The participants were 406 spouse-caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients who lived at home at baseline. The caregivers were randomly assigned to either a group receiving enhanced counseling and support treatment or a group receiving usual care (control group). Caregivers in the enhanced treatment group were provided with six sessions of individual and family counseling, agreed to join support groups 4 months after enrollment, and received ongoing ad hoc counseling. The Geriatric Depression Scale was administered at baseline and at regular follow-up intervals for as long as the caregiver participated in the study., Results: After baseline differences were controlled for, caregivers in the enhanced treatment group had significantly fewer depressive symptoms after the intervention than did the control subjects. These effects were sustained for 3.1 years after baseline, similar across gender and patient severity level, and sustained after nursing home placement or death of the patient., Conclusions: Counseling and support lead to sustained benefits in reducing depressive symptoms in spouse-caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients and should be widely available to provide effective, evidence-based intervention for family caregivers.

The Northern California Chronic Care Network for Dementia brings together Northern California's major providers of managed care, community-based care, consumer education, and advocacy in new partnerships to improve the care of persons with dementia enrolled in managed care plans and their family caregivers. These partnerships are part of a national initiative entitled the Chronic Care Network for Alzheimer's Disease (CCN/AD) sponsored by the National Chronic Care Consortium and the Alzheimer's Association. This initiative selected eight promising provider-consumer partnerships across the country to implement and evaluate a new model of coordinated care for people with dementia and their families. This paper describes the Northern California network's partnerships and its intervention and challenges. The intervention is grounded in the key components of the CCN/AD model: "identification of patients with possible dementia, diagnostic assessment, care management and family caregiver information and support." These components, in turn, are translated into protocols and pathways designed to create timely, comprehensive, appropriate, and effective systems of care services that address the unique needs of dementia patients and their caregivers over the course of the disease.

A modified version of the Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist (RMBPC; L. Teri et al., 1992) was administered across 6 different sites to 1,229 family caregivers of community-dwelling adults with dementia. The total sample was divided randomly into 2 subsamples. Principal components analyses on occurrence responses and reaction ratings from the first subsample resulted in a 3-factor solution that closely resembled the originally proposed dimensions (memory-related problems, disruptive behaviors, and depression). Confirmatory factor analyses on data from the second subsample indicated adequate fit for the 3-factor model. Correlations with other caregiver and care-recipient measures supported the convergent and discriminant validity of the RMBPC measures. In addition, female caregivers and White caregivers reported more problems, on average, than male caregivers and African American caregivers, respectively.

Purpose: This study examines the short-term impact of two theoretically based psychoeducational small group interventions with distressed caregivers, and it also examines the role of specific moderator and mediator variables on caregiver outcomes., Design and Methods: Female participants (N = 169) aged 50 and older who were caring for a community-dwelling relative with a dementing illness were randomly assigned to one of three treatment interventions: anger management, depression management, or a wait-list control group. These interventions took place over a 3- to 4-month period. The primary outcomes examined were anger or hostile mood, depressed mood, frequency of use of positive and negative coping strategies, and perceived caregiving self-efficacy., Results: Significant main effects in the expected direction were found for changes in most of these measures. Participants in both anger management and depression management groups had significant reductions in their levels of anger or hostility and depression from Time 1 to Time 2 in comparison to participants in the wait-list control group. Use of positive cognitive coping strategies increased in the anger management group only. Self-efficacy significantly increased for participants in both intervention groups, and it was also demonstrated to function as a mediator of intervention effects. Pretreatment levels of depressive symptoms and anger expression style (Anger Expression-Out) moderated the relative effects of the two interventions on mood and coping., Implications: These data are consistent with a growing body of evidence supporting the effectiveness of skills training, in small groups, to improve both the affective states and the type of coping strategies used by caregivers. In addition, this study underscores the need to evaluate key pretreatment variables in order to determine which form of treatment may be more compatible with caregiver characteristics and thus more likely to be beneficial to individuals.

The Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Cargiver Health (REACH) project was designed to test promising interventions for enhancing family caregiving for persons with dementia. The purpose of this article is to describe the research design, interventions, and outcome measures used in REACH and to characterize the sample recruited for the study. Nine interventions and 2 control conditions were implemented at 6 sites; 1,222 dyads were randomly assigned to an intervention or a control condition. The caregiver sample was 18.6% male with an average age of 62.3 years (56% Caucasian, 24% Black, and 19% Hispanic). Caregivers reported high levels of depressive symptoms and moderate burden. Care recipients were older, with a mean age of 79, and were moderately to severely impaired with mean Mini-Mental State Exam scores of 13/30.

Social and behavioral HIV/AIDS prevention interventions designed to test their effects on older cohorts are sorely lacking in the scientific literature even though middle-aged and older people represent a significant minority of both existing and new AIDS cases. This article raises key issues relevant in developing and evaluating HIV/AIDS social and behavioral interventions for older cohorts. These interventions must build on our current understanding of behavior change and HIV prevention successes with younger populations while considering important intervention principles gathered from work with older populations in other health arenas. In addition, the authors expand on recent national panels and published reviews relevant to the topic and provide a set of intervention recommendations for use in tandem with these intervention principles. The article also calls for additional research into the sociocultural contexts that influence risk-taking among older cohorts and for the development of interventions at multiple levels. Pragmatic considerations such as identifying and dismantling ageism in interventions, delineating intervention outcomes, and planning for intervention transferability, dissemination, and sustainability also are raised.

Objective: The authors extend previous research on homework in psychotherapy by examining the relationship between homework compliance and therapeutic outcome among depressed older adult outpatients (N = 63), addressing previous limitations by using session-by-session therapist ratings of homework compliance and including both interviewer ratings and patient self-reports of outcomes., Methods: Patients were participants in a randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of desipramine versus cognitive/behavioral therapy-alone (C/B-Alone) versus a combination of the two (Combined). Given the current study's focus on homework compliance, only patients assigned to conditions with assigned homework in the clinical trial (i.e., C/B-Alone and Combined conditions) were included., Results: Results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that homework compliance contributed significantly to posttreatment outcome as measured by both interviewer-administered and patient self-report measures of depression. A separate series of ANOVAs also found significant differences in pre-posttreatment change between patients scoring above and below the median of reported homework compliance. Findings were similar for patients in the C/B-Alone and Combined conditions., Conclusion: The study's results call for additional research on issues related to homework compliance with older adult patients.

A growing body of research suggests that homework assignments facilitate positive outcomes in psychotherapy. We describe a cognitive behavioral outpatient therapy that stresses the important role homework plays in psychotherapy outcomes and that is found to be successful for treating emotional distress in both older adults and family caregivers. Just as a number of barriers can make it difficult for older clients to commit to regular therapy appointments, a variety of factors can also influence their completion of homework. We also address key issues frequently encountered when fostering homework compliance among older adults and utilize case vignettes to illustrate successful approaches to address these barriers. We present basic tenets for effective homework completion regardless of age group as well as several methods to address homework challenges that we find to be particularly pertinent for therapists treating today's older adults., (Copyright 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)