Background: High levels of alcohol consumption have been shown to be related to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic disease and is an important variable in the global burden of disease. Purpose: This study explored the relationship between alcohol consumption and depressive symptoms among older Chinese adults in mainland…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to gain insight into public awareness of intimate partner violence (IPV) in late life by how individuals respond to incidents of IPV reported in the newspaper. Design and Methods: Using grounded theory techniques, online news items covering 24 incidents of IPV in late life, and the reader comments posted to…

Close relationships are important throughout life, but their dynamics may change as chronic health conditions permeate the lives of older women. To understand how older women (N = 36) manage their close relationships, this study was guided by two research questions: How do older women with chronic health conditions define meaningful relationships?…

To identify perspectives on the roles of extended family and fictive kin, the authors conducted a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 45 older adults diverse in gender, race, and class. Five strategies of kin reinterpretation were found. Kin promotion defined a distant blood relative as a closer blood relative. Kin exchange…

Guided by an ecological perspective, the authors examined event, individual, structural/cultural, and family/community factors that shaped the psychological well-being of older adults displaced from New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. The authors first established the negative effects of displacement on psychological well-being by comparing…

When faced with changes in physical health, cognition, and daily functioning, older adults most frequently rely on family members for instrumental support and more intense care activities. Using a life span perspective as our guiding framework, we identified several developmental themes across the late-life caregiving research including individual…

We applied the theory of ambiguous loss to couples with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), an age-related decline in memory and other cognitive processes assumed not to interfere with daily activities or the maintenance of personal relationships. Face-to-face interviews with 67 older married couples revealed that lack of understanding about the…

Purpose: We examined characteristics, responses, and psychological well-being of care partners who support and assist older adults recently diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Design and Methods: Based on a sample of 106 care partners of community residents diagnosed with MCI at memory clinics, we conducted face-to-face interviews…

Studied women (N=115) with osteoporosis who reported their major problems to be pain and their inability to do housework. Results showed most viewed their family as being supportive, reporting they frequently received help from their children. Those with lower incomes and specific fractures reported receiving the most help. (Author/ABL)

Examined the friendship patterns of older women (N=150). Results indicated the older widowed women received more help from their friends than did married older women. In addition, significant differences in the morale of the older women were found according to the equity of helping behaviors with friends. (JAC)

A survey of 122 rehabilitation professionals reported a negative bias toward aging. Respondents stated that client personal characteristics, including both physical and psychological variables, were the most significant barriers to serving older clients. (Critiques of Roberto and others' article by Nacey and Wood are included.) (JOW)

Examined meaning and maintenance of friend relationships among 41 male and 74 female older adults. Men and women tended to agree on characteristics of friend; gender differences emerged when they differentiated between "friend" and "close friend." Older women were more likely than older men to consider friends made earlier in life as still part of…

Explored significance of grandparents to 142 college student grandchildren. Grandchildren reported infrequent current interactions with grandparents, although they did perceive their grandparents, especially grandmothers, as influential in their value development. Grandchildren reported stronger relationships with grandmothers than with…

During a 4-year period, aggregated data from Adult Protective Services case files in Virginia revealed 17 cases of sexually abused young, middle-age, and old men. The most common types of sexual abuse across age groups involved instances of sexualized kissing and fondling and unwelcome sexual interest in the individual men's bodies. The majority…

Examined the use of informal and formal support networks and factors associated with their use among older rural adults from different socioeconomic groups. For each group, three patterns of network use were identified. Formal service use among the poor group was limited to situations of extreme need. (Author/BL)