Current Issues in Gerontology
Objective 1: Those who attend this symposium will be able to describe some of the individual- and system- level health equity and access issues faced by diverse groups of older adults and understand how these issues may hinder or promote optimal aging.
Objective 2: Those who attend this symposium will be able to identify methodological, systematic and policy interventions that could improve the overall health of older adults.
Session Overview: Understanding factors that influence wellbeing is critical to research on optimal aging. Use of research evidence to engage in practice and policy improvement initiatives that identify cost-effective, culturally sensitive systems and interventions for organizing and delivering quality healthcare to older adults is imperative. The individual presentations in this symposium each address individual, systematic and policy issues that may impact the wellbeing of older adults and improve the equity and access to quality and safe nursing care available to them.
The first paper describes findings of an intervention aimed at improving how licensed nurses (both LVNs and RNs) communicate patient safety events to nursing home residents and families. The second paper uses conceptual analysis to explore individual and health system characteristics associated with access to community-based palliative care for older adults with serious and complex chronic illness. The third paper provides information about the factors related to older smokers as a high risk population for lung cancer and discuss guidelines for lung cancer screening the decisions to have screening in this population. The fourth paper describes experiences of older African American grandparents raising grandchildren, how this role impacts their social, financial physiological wellbeing and highlights the importance of utilizing appropriate methodological approaches to better understand the phenomenon and areas for potential psychosocial interventions. Together, these papers expand the boundaries of understanding of multiple issues that impact the health and wellbeing of older adults and illustrate how research can identify factors that hinder or promote optimal aging in this population.