Raven Weaver

• Assistant Professor at Washington State University

Forecasting future health status is beneficial for understanding health patterns and providing anticipatory support for cognitive and physical health difficulties. In recent years, generative Large Language Models (LLMs) have shown promise as forecasters. Though not traditionally considered strong candidates for numeric tasks, LLMs demonstrate emer...

Background To promote caregiver health and reduce burden, the Savvy Caregiver Program (SCP), an evidence‐based caregiving intervention, was adapted with a Native Hawaiian (NH) community in Hawaiʻi. The adaptation process occurred prior to pilot testing in two phases: 1) the preliminary adaptation by a community action board (CAB) and mentorship tea...

There is an increasing demand for health and human service (HHS) workers in the United States. With direct and sustained contact with people, HHS workers are regularly exposed to end-of-life (EOL) care but typically have little education and support to handle the associated emotional and mental toll. Thus, this study qualitatively explored how cult...

Suicide is often considered a triggering topic and may pose challenges in classroom settings. Suicide is a lifespan issue with older adults having the highest risk and it being a leading cause of death among young adults. To improve both personal response and professional readiness, it is important for college students to learn about suicide in the...

Older incarcerated women are overlooked in research despite facing significant challenges; many remain incarcerated until death, even though prisons are not designed to provide sufficient geriatric or end-of-life care. This scoping review investigated the intersectionality between aging, incarceration, and health outcomes, focusing on older women,...

There are many sensitive (e.g., death, loss, trauma) and politically charged (e.g., aging policies, ageism) topics that often emerge in gerontology courses that can challenge educators and impede classroom dialogue. We surveyed undergraduate students (N = 380; 76% Women, 65% White, 44% first-year) regarding their perspectives on which topics they b...

Dementia prevalence is predicted to increase alongside the number of older adults, magnifying the demand for informal caregiving. While there are many effective caregiver interventions for people living with dementia and their care partners, most interventions focus on a single caregiver, overlooking the value of including other relatives in the ca...

Gerontology educators are tasked with navigating a myriad of sensitive topics (e.g., discrimination/inequality, abuse/neglect, end-of-life) that lay the foundation for understanding aging and its complexities over the life course. These topics challenge educators but hold profound significance for gerontological practice. Inequities shape opportuni...

Community-based aging resources, like Area Agencies on Aging (AAA), are often underutilized. Establishing partnerships with healthcare providers can promote better awareness and use of available services/supports. We evaluated a community partnership between a primary care clinic and an AAA; both community partners were committed to reducing advers...

People are living longer than ever before, ushering in a need for more healthcare professionals to engage older patients about aging and end-of-life (EOL) values. Despite 99% of healthcare providers acknowledging the importance of advance care planning discussions, over two-thirds of physicians lack adequate training (Fulmer et al., 2018). To addre...

People experience end-of-life (EOL) differently due to unique lived experience and sociopolitical position. Most people prefer to die at home, and evidence suggests that healthcare providers have a role to play in fostering a positive EOL experience. This study aimed to understand classes of healthcare provider involvement in the EOL experience and...

Introduction: We aimed to describe the health and well-being of family caregivers of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) adults living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), explore cultural values related to caregiving, and characterize barriers and facilitators to their health and well-being. Methodology: Caregivers of...

BACKGROUND Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) offers an effective method to collect frequent, real-time data on an individual’s well-being. However, challenges exist in response consistency, completeness, and accuracy. OBJECTIVE This goal of this study is to analyze EMA responses across various settings, using data from multiple diverse studies...

Background Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) offers an effective method to collect frequent, real-time data on an individual’s well-being. However, challenges exist in response consistency, completeness, and accuracy. Objective This study examines EMA response patterns and their relationship with sensed behavior for data collected from diverse...

Background Family caregivers are at increased risk for experiencing multiple negative health outcomes, yet unpaid caregivers provide the majority of care for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). 1‐3 Among Native Hawaiians (NHs), family or ʻohana caregiving is an important and common responsibility. 4,5 As NHs face su...

With an aging population, knowledge about death, dying, loss, grief, and end-of-life (EOL) care is an essential skill for most physicians. However, EOL education has been minimally incorporated into medical school curricula in the United States (U.S.); there is a significant need to better prepare medical students for the unique challenges of impro...

Long existing inequalities near the end-of-life (EOL), including the death experience, have been uncovered because of increased attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospice may be an avenue to equalize EOL experiences. This study aimed to 1) understand the profiles of hospice use and EOL experience in a national representative sample of decedent...

Most people, of all ages, do not engage in advance care planning or know about available end-of-life (EOL) choices, despite the personal and societal benefits in an aging society, highlighting the need for educational intervention and outreach. We implemented an online educational intervention to explore accurate understanding of medical-aid-in-dyi...

Background Delaying health care has the capacity to increase morbidity and premature mortality among individuals with chronic and acute health conditions, particularly for those living in rural areas. Objective The objective of this study was to identify social determinants of health that are associated with delay of care (DOC) among older adults...

The interdisciplinary field of prevention science was founded on the premise of a lifespan developmental model. Prevention scientists have developed a strong set of tools and intervention technologies for understanding and potentially modifying risk and protective factors through early adulthood. However, there is a demographic imperative to apply...

Introduction: Individuals living in rural communities are at heightened risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), which parallels other persistent place-based health disparities. Identifying multiple potentially modifiable risk factors specific to rural areas that contribute to ADRD is an essential first step in understanding the...

INTRODUCTION: Individuals living in rural communities are at heightened risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), which parallels other persistent place-based health disparities. Identifying multiple potentially modifiable risk factors specific to rural areas that contribute to ADRD is an essential first step in understanding the c...

Elder abuse (EA) is an under-recognized global public health threat in need of enhanced research and policy attention, with 1 in 6 older adults experiencing at least one form of abuse/neglect. Public policy changes, such as the federal 2017 Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA), aim to address EA, but little is known regarding translat...

Social determinants of health (SDH) are non-medical social needs key to reducing health disparities and improving health outcomes. Adequately identifying patients’ unmet SDH needs in primary care (PC) is a critical first step in addressing them, yet many questions remain regarding feasibility and implementation of screenings and how to effectively...

The COVID-19 pandemic led to unique, pervasive, and changing global impacts. It is imperative to characterize groups of individuals based on modifiable factors, and to describe how groups have been impacted by the continuing pandemic in the United States to promote health and well-being and to inform preventive interventions. We used latent transit...

Background : When older adults seek support through formal community-based services, they or their family caregivers have determined a need for assistance with ongoing functional needs. Eligibility for long-term services and supports is often based on clinically evaluated need determined by a professional clinical health assessment. Methods : Usin...

Older adults who receive care in a healthcare facility certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services receive services mandated and regulated by state and federal policy to ensure that basic quality and safety standards are met. Termination of certification due to ongoing care deficiencies results in the involuntary relocation of resid...

Aging in place (AIP), or being able to maintain independence in one's home and community, will be a big challenge for older adults in coming decades. As interest in AIP, age‐friendly policies, and livable community initiatives grows, successful policy planning should be based on the perspectives of older adults, especially those from marginalized c...

Social connection is important across the life course, but overall levels have been declining. The COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique context to examine social connectedness and adaptive capacity in times of social adversity. We used a parallel mixed method design to collect online survey data from a representative U.S. sample (N = 359). Applying...

Non-familial intergenerational programs engage younger and older people in shared programming for mutual benefit, frequently involving senior centers or adult day programs and preschools. With growing interest in the potential benefits of intergenerational strategies, it is imperative to know their effects on participant interaction during intergen...

A representative U.S. sample of adults completed an online survey (N=360) about perceived changes in social health and wellbeing since the implementation of physical distancing restrictions in April. Analyses are conducted on a subsample of adults aged 60+ (n=93; m=65.7 years; SD=4.7). Baseline bivariate descriptive analyses showed no geographic-ba...

Delaying healthcare has the capacity to increase morbidity and mortality, especially among individuals with chronic and acute health conditions. Older adults in rural areas are more likely to have chronic health conditions and are more likely to delay care due to financial barriers than their urban counterparts. To further investigate these associa...

For gerontological educators, topics such as mortality, loss, and end-of-life issues often emerge or are central in their courses. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has raised our awareness of loss and death on a global scale and teaching during the pandemic has raised questions about how educators, communities, or systems of higher education can supp...

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been felt globally affecting everyone, but have disproportionately harmed some of the most vulnerable and marginalized including individuals residing in rural and remote areas. The geographic isolation initially thought to protect rural and remote communities from the pandemic soon became a disadvantage, re...

Older adults’ sexual health is often overlooked and unaddressed by healthcare professionals, though sexuality is a central and life-long aspect of being human. Healthcare professionals cite lack of knowledge and comfort in addressing older adult sexual health needs and concerns. We conducted a scoping review to identify educational programmes for p...

Background and objectives: Intergenerational programs, those engaging youth and adults of non-adjacent generations in shared programming for mutual benefit, are attracting increasing attention from funders, policy makers, and practitioners for the range of goals they can support. The mechanisms by which these goals are achieved are rarely studied....

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are experiencing unprecedented cumulative loss and grief. Guided by life course theory, we used inductive qualitative analysis and explored young adults’ (N = 86) written accounts of their earliest and most significant losses associated with COVID-19, as well as their coping mechanisms. Overall, particip...

Falls are among the most common cause of decreased mobility and independence in older adults and rank as one of the most severe public health problems with frequent fatal consequences. In the present study, gait characteristics from 171 community-dwelling older adults were evaluated to determine their predictive ability for future falls using a wea...

Physical distancing and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic may influence dietary behaviors. Using a parallel mixed method design, we examined the relationships between structural and perceived social relationships on dietary behaviors across the adult lifespan and by food security status. A representative sample of 360 adults (18-78 years ol...

For gerontological educators, topics such as mortality, loss, and end-of-life issues often emerge or are central in their courses. However, teaching in the era, and aftermath, of the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the salience of death and loss, raising questions about best practices and teaching pedagogies to support student learning amidst a gl...

Advance care planning (ACP) is atypical in the United States, especially among young adults. We designed and evaluated the effectiveness of a brief intervention about the benefits of perceived control and planning for end-of-life. Participants (N = 188) were randomized into three conditions and completed a cross-sectional questionnaire. Participant...

Falls are among the most common cause of decreased mobility and independence in older adults and rank as one of the most severe public health problems with frequent fatal consequences. In the present study, gait characteristics from 171 community-dwelling older adults were evaluated to determine their predictive ability for future falls using a wea...

Objectives: We examined perceived behavior change since implementation of physical distancing restrictions and identified modifiable (self-rated health, resilience, depressive symptoms, social support and subjective wellbeing) and non-modifiable (demographics) risk/protective factors. Methods: A representative US sample (N = 362) completed an onlin...

As population aging increases demands on the U.S. health care system, strong public outreach regarding community supports for older adults and clear partnerships between medical and community-based services are needed to identify, serve, and yield better health outcomes, especially for the most vulnerable populations. In this exploratory observatio...

Sexual activity contributes to quality of life throughout the lifespan. However, stigma about sex in late life influences older adults’ perceptions and healthcare professionals’ perceptions of older adults’ sexual health/behaviors. Using a multi-methods approach, we examined attitudes and knowledge about sexual health/behaviors in late life. Using...

Community-based service organizations are well positioned to address social determinants of health by offering a range of services/supports to community residents. To identify health needs and service delivery gaps among a geographically and economically diverse eight-county region, a needs assessment was conducted to support community-based agenci...

Experiences of death in early life may result in identity-defining memories that last a lifetime. Autobiographical memories serve psychosocial functions, acting as guides for future behavior. Understanding early death experiences may thus inform lifelong personal views about death, dying, and bereavement. We queried 50 adults (ages 19 – 67 years) u...

Although involuntary nursing home closures for operational and care-related reasons occur infrequently, few studies have examined the centrality of the actions of staff to facilitate residents’ relocation adjustment. We interviewed 18 administrators and 43 staff working at 27 facilities about the relocation process for residents from two facilities...

Moving beyond typical dichotomous rural–urban categorizations, this study examines older adults’ likelihood of receiving home- and community-based services. Data from 1608 individuals aged 60+ who requested assistance from Area Agencies on Aging in Virginia in 2014–2015 were analyzed; 88% of individuals received at least one service. Receiving serv...

Objectives: We examined functional, social, and health needs and service delivery gaps among a geographically expansive and economically diverse population of older adults to identify service priorities. Methods: We conducted analyses based on 1280 respondents aged 60 years and older surveyed for an 8-county needs assessment. Results: We identified...

Myths and stereotypes of sex in late-life prevail. Unless the workforce is prepared to address the sexual health needs of older adults, it is difficult to disrupt ageism in professional settings. We evaluated a two-day project-based workshop designed for undergraduate students about sex and aging. Using content analysis, we examined open-ended resp...

Involuntary nursing home closures happens infrequently, but when they do occur, they impact residents, their family, and facility staff. During the transition, residents’ care needs are of primary concern, yet few studies have examined the centrality of the actions of staff to residents’ relocation adjustment. This paper examined staff perceptions...

Myths and stereotypes of sex in late life prevail (e.g., sex becomes unimportant or irrelevant; sex gets worse as individuals age; older adults are asexual). Unless the workforce is adequately prepared and knowledgeable to address the sexual health needs of older adults, it is difficult to disrupt ageism that contribute to discrimination against ol...

High-risk older adults (i.e., low-income, chronically ill) often have complex, costly healthcare needs and are at risk of re-hospitalization. Hospitals traditionally lead efforts to reduce readmissions, while community-based aging services organizations (e.g., Area Agency on Aging AAA) offer older adults in-home health, social support, and informat...

Most individuals prefer to live independently in their homes, but will need support to age-in-place safely. Rural-dwelling individuals historically have worse health, limited income, and restricted access to adequate services/supports compared to their urban counterparts. Community-based aging services organizations (i.e., Area Agency on Aging; AAA...

Background and objectives: We explore how an understudied population of older individuals addresses their ongoing care needs when ineligible for Medicaid waiver services. Research design and methods: Using regression techniques, we identified factors associated with service use and health outcomes among 1,008 older adults (60+) who applied for M...

Leisure opportunities and experiences make powerful contributions to individual and community health by promoting positive and reducing negative health outcomes at individual, community, state, and national levels. Leisure researchers have long promoted the health benefits of parks and recreation, reflecting leisure’s role in public health. However...

Background and objectives: Relocation to a residential care facility has been described as the most significant relocation affecting older adults, yet subsequent relocations, like in the case of a facility closure, have received minimal attention in the scholarly research literature. This paper reviews the published literature on involuntary reloc...

Services and supports provided through the Older Americans Act help individuals manage care needs while living in their home and community. Methods: Data from 1,608 clients aged 60+ who contacted Area Agencies on Aging in Virginia for assistance in 2014–2015 were analyzed to identify factors associated with receiving services. Results: Typical clie...

Older adults who are deemed ineligible to receive Medicaid waiver services are an invisible population, at-risk for adverse health outcomes. Using a mixed-method design, we analyzed data from two state agencies to identified factors associated with service use and mortality risk of 1,008 older Medicaid waiver applicants and interviews with eight ru...

A greater percentage of older adults resides in rural areas than in urban settings. Older rural adults often face disparities in care fueled by sociocultural barriers including decreased or absent insurance and reluctance to access services, environmental barriers such as distance from specialists (e.g., neurologists, geriatric nurse practitioners)...

Background and objectives: Project TRIP (Transforming Relationships through Intergenerational Programs) was developed as a sustainable intergenerational community project involving child care participants and elders attending an elder care program or volunteering at the children's program. The project focused on staff development of evidence-based...

Little is known about how rural-dwelling older adults anticipate and plan for future care needs. Using a mixed-method explanatory design, structural equation modeling ( n = 535) revealed significant associations between concerns about using services on preference for type of help; preference was associated with likelihood of using future services....

Using content analysis, we identified themes in data collected via small focus groups and individual interviews with staff and administrators (N=30) from six sites where childcare centers partnered with adult day services, senior center, and elder volunteer programs. As a USDA CYFAR Sustainable Community Project, emergent themes addressed the impac...

When older individuals fail to receive any or sufficient assistance for daily self-care and functional activities, a situation of unmet need is created. Prevalence of unmet need in the United States ranges from 20% to 58% of older adults with disabilities. Functional criteria for receiving assistance from federal and state programs vary. This study...

Intergenerational contact contributes to a range of health outcomes, including greater social and psychological engagement and lower levels of depression. Contact measures are limited. Informed by Allport’s contact theory, the Queen’s University Scale (Knox, Gekoski, & Johnson, 1986) measures contact with the general elder population and a familiar...

Objectives: Intergenerational contact has been linked to a range of health outcomes, including greater engagement and lower depression. Measures of contact are limited. Informed by Allport's contact theory, the Queen's University Scale consists of items rating contact with elders. We administered the survey to a young adult sample (N = 606) to iden...

Purpose of the study: The purpose of this study was to identify different types of clients who use home and community-based services. Design and methods: Enrollment characteristics of 76 clients at risk of nursing home placement and Medicaid spend-down who were enrolled in the Virginia Community Living Program were analyzed. Two-step cluster ana...

Since 1965, community resources have evolved to meet the changing and diverse needs of the growing population of older adults in the United States. While funding for community-based aging programs and supportive services has waxed and waned, there has been a noticeable shift in the delivery of services from traditional agency-based services to more...