THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM OF ALL-INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) CLOSURE ON SOCIAL ISOLATION AND LONELINESS

Abstract

Social isolation and loneliness are public health problems seen in late adulthood that are associated with health risks (e.g., premature mortality, depression, and suicidality) and these issues are even more common among older adults with chronic illnesses (Nicholson, 2012). The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) was developed to serve medical and behavioral needs and provide opportunities for social engagement for older adults with chronic illnesses. Budget cuts shut down Wyoming’s PACE program. This study aimed to (1) examine the impact of this closure on social isolation and loneliness, (2) identify how individuals have adapted to the loss of services that address social isolation, and (3) identify needs and preferences for future intervention to address social isolation. A concurrent mixed-methods design was used to examine these aims. Participants (n = 12; M = 74 years old, SD = 9.5) were predominantly White (n = 8, 66%), female (n = 6, 50%), and lived alone (n = 6, 50%). Caregivers of participants (n = 5; M = 63 years old, SD = 11) were predominantly Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish origin (n = 3, 60%), female (n = 4, 80%), and lived with a partner (n = 4, 80%). Four central themes emerged: social isolation, emotional concerns, transportation loss, and care loss. Data showed decreases in social support and increases in loneliness. Results suggest programs like PACE greatly benefit older adults. Future directions may include developing community-based interventions to address service needs and social isolation concerns in Wyoming.

Full text

Innovation in Aging, 2023, Vol. 7, No. S1 849
Abstract citation ID: igad104.2736
THE GENERATIONAL COMPARISONS OF
SOCIAL NETWORK SITE USE SUBTYPES AND ITS
ASSOCIATIONS WITH SELF-ESTEEM
BomiChoi1, HayoungPark1, Si YoungSong2, and
MiseonKang1, 1. Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of
Korea, 2. Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
This study aimed to identify subtypes of Social Network
Service (SNS) use that affect self-esteem by applying a
person-centered approach. The study also aimed to compare
the SNS use subtypes and their associations with self-esteem
between young and middle-aged adults in Korea. The sample
included 2,572 young adults (18-44 years old) and 1,790
middle-aged adults (45-64 years old) drawn from the Korea
Media Panel, a nationally representative dataset. Self-esteem
was measured by the sum of ten questions from Rosenberg’s
Self-Esteem Scale. Four indicators of SNS use (e.g., “How
often do you check other people’s posts (feed)?”) were used
to perform a 3-step Latent Prole Analysis, which accounts
for classication errors. The results of the Latent Prole
Analysis showed 5 and 4 subtypes of SNS use for young
and middle-aged adults, respectively, depending on the fre-
quency of active and passive usage. Overlapping subtypes in-
clude ‘passive-low’, ‘active-low’, ‘moderate’, and ‘high-active’
users. Young adults had one distinct subtype with a very high
frequency of passive usage (checking others’ posts and liking
them) but a very low frequency of active usage (sharing con-
tent with others). The results also revealed that those with
more frequent use in both active and passive use showed the
lowest self-esteem in both young and middle-aged groups.
This study supports previous ndings suggesting that fre-
quent SNS use has negative impacts on self-esteem, even for
middle-aged adults. Based on these results, digital literacy
programs for middle-aged adults should cover healthy ways
to use SNS.
Abstract citation ID: igad104.2737
THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM OF ALL-INCLUSIVE
CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) CLOSURE ON
SOCIAL ISOLATION AND LONELINESS
BarbaraDabrowski, ElizabethPunke, AbbyTeply,
KatyRichardson, ChristineMcKibbin, and
CatherineCarrico, University of Wyoming, Laramie,
Wyoming, United States
Social isolation and loneliness are public health prob-
lems seen in late adulthood that are associated with health
risks (e.g., premature mortality, depression, and suicidality)
and these issues are even more common among older adults
with chronic illnesses (Nicholson, 2012). The Program of
All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) was developed to
serve medical and behavioral needs and provide opportun-
ities for social engagement for older adults with chronic
illnesses. Budget cuts shut down Wyoming’s PACE program.
This study aimed to (1) examine the impact of this closure
on social isolation and loneliness, (2) identify how indi-
viduals have adapted to the loss of services that address
social isolation, and (3) identify needs and preferences for
future intervention to address social isolation. A concur-
rent mixed-methods design was used to examine these aims.
Participants (n = 12; M = 74 years old, SD = 9.5) were pre-
dominantly White (n = 8, 66%), female (n = 6, 50%), and
lived alone (n = 6, 50%). Caregivers of participants (n = 5;
M = 63 years old, SD = 11) were predominantly Hispanic,
Latino, or of Spanish origin (n = 3, 60%), female (n = 4,
80%), and lived with a partner (n = 4, 80%). Four cen-
tral themes emerged: social isolation, emotional concerns,
transportation loss, and care loss. Data showed decreases
in social support and increases in loneliness. Results suggest
programs like PACE greatly benet older adults. Future dir-
ections may include developing community-based interven-
tions to address service needs and social isolation concerns
in Wyoming.
Abstract citation ID: igad104.2738
THE MODERATING ROLE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT
IN THE RELATION BETWEEN FUNCTIONAL
LIMITATIONS AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS
JunyubLim, and GiyeonKim, Chung-Ang University, Seoul,
Republic of Korea
Background and Objectives: Prior research has demon-
strated that social support from friends and neighbors can ef-
fectively reduce depressive symptoms. However, few studies
have investigated how the characteristics of these relation-
ships can alleviate depressive symptoms among older adults
with functional limitations. Therefore, the present study aims
to investigate the moderating effects of characteristics of
friends and neighbors relationships on the link between func-
tional limitations and depressive symptoms among Korean
older adults. Methods: The data used for analyses were
obtained from the 2020 Survey of Living Conditions and
Welfare Needs of Korean Older Persons, a nationally repre-
sentative survey. The sample included a total of 9,985 indi-
viduals who were 65 years of age or older residing in Korea.
Results: Results from the moderator analyses revealed that
the link between functional limitations and depressive symp-
toms was inuenced by both the number of close friends
and neighbors (b = -0.085, p < .01) and the level of satisfac-
tion with relationships with friends and communities (b =
2.052, p < .05). Discussion: Satisfaction with relationships
with friends and communities may act as a protective factor
that mitigates the impact of functional limitations on depres-
sive symptoms. In particular, for older adults with functional
limitations, having a larger network of friends and neigh-
bors network is expected to help reduce the risk of depressive
symptoms.
Abstract citation ID: igad104.2739
UNDERSTANDING LONELINESS PATTERNS AMONG
WIDOWED OLDER ADULTS OVER TIME AND THE
PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF SOCIAL SUPPORT
GinaLee, and DanielRussell, Iowa State University, Ames,
Iowa, United States
The present study aimed to investigate loneliness among
widowed and non-widowed older adults. Additionally, the
study sought to identify classes with different loneliness pat-
terns among widowed older adults over time and to deter-
mine social resources that impact loneliness patterns after
spousal loss. Data from the Health and Retirement Study
were utilized to compare loneliness levels between widowed
(n = 137) and non-widowed (n = 2,361). Those who were
married at T1 (2008/2010), widowed at T2 (2012/2014),
and remained widowed at T3 (2016/2018) were dened as
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