Using an Innovative Discussion Platform to Give Voice to Aging-Related Experiences: A Pilot Study

Teng, Andrew K.; Han, Sang Sub; Lin, Shih‐Yin; Demiris, George; Zaslavsky, Oleg; Chen, Annie

doi:10.3928/00989134-20191105-05

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…The sWHI measure performed well and was described as “practical for use in settings with limited resources.” 23 Despite its nomenclature, the sWHI frailty measure has been used in prior research involving samples including both men and women. 24 , 25 …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reactions to COVID-19, information and technology use, and social connectedness among older adults with pre-frailty and frailty

et al. 2021

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Highlights Coronovirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has serious implications for older adults. Qualitative analysis of an online discussion by older adults with frailty. We analyzed 60 posts using a general inductive analytic method. Themes included impacts on daily life, perceptions, information, and technology use. Our study provides insight into ways to support older adults in pandemics.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reactions to COVID-19, information and technology use, and social connectedness among older adults with pre-frailty and frailty

et al. 2021

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“…Previous research of technology use among the “oldest old” has argued that adoption can be based on a complex interplay of factors, including social, attitudinal, physical, digital literacy, and usability (Neves et al, 2015). Though we encountered issues with confusion in our first pilot study (Teng et al, 2019), we revised our materials and enhanced our training, and subsequently did not encounter issues in this study. In addition, our training materials feature large text and clear iconography to enhance clarity, and we incorporated a substantive amount of training, which is consistent with design guidelines for older adults (Neves et al, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The sWHI measure has been compared with Fried’s CHS frailty phenotype measure for prediction of health outcomes; the measure performed well and was described as “practical for use in settings with limited resources” (Zaslavsky et al, 2017). Despite its nomenclature, the sWHI frailty measure has also been used in prior research involving samples with both men and women (Strandberg et al, 2018; Teng et al, 2019).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Promoting Problem Solving About Health Management: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Evaluation of a Digital Health Intervention for Older Adults With Pre-Frailty and Frailty

Chen

Chu

Teng

et al. 2021

Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine

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Background: There is a need for interventions to promote health management of older adults with pre-frailty and frailty. Technology poses promising solutions, but questions exist about effective delivery. Objectives: We present the results of a mixed-methods pilot evaluation of Virtual Online Communities for Older Adults (VOCALE), an 8-week intervention conducted in the northwestern United States, in which participants shared health-related experiences and applied problem solving skills in a Facebook group. Methods: We performed a mixed-methods process evaluation, integrating quantitative and qualitative data, to characterize the intervention and its effects. We focus on four areas: health-related measures (health literacy and self-efficacy), participation, problem solving skills enacted, and subjective feedback. Results: Eight older adults with pre-frailty and frailty (age = 82.7 ± 6.6 years) completed the study. There was an upward trend in health literacy and health self-efficacy post-intervention. Participants posted at least two times per week. Content analysis of 210 posts showed participants were able to apply the problem solving skills taught, and exit interviews showed participants’ increased awareness of the need to manage health, and enjoyment in learning about others. Conclusion: This mixed-methods evaluation provides insight into feasibility and design considerations for online interventions to promote health management among vulnerable older adults.

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“…We adapted a prior social networking intervention that was developed for older adults with prefrailty and frailty, VOCALE [ 16 - 18 ], to the needs of caregivers of individuals with LBD. Similar to our previous studies, the refined intervention included training and moderated web-based discussion components.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtual Intervention for Caregivers of Persons With Lewy Body Dementia: Pilot Quasi-Experimental Single-Arm Study

Zaslavsky¹,

Kaneshiro²,

Chu³

et al. 2022

JMIR Form Res

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Background Compared to other types of dementia, family caregivers of people with Lewy body dementia (LBD) report higher stress levels and more severe depressive symptoms. Although several digital support interventions for caregivers of persons with dementia exist, few target LBD specifically or leverage a fully remote and asynchronous approach suitable for pandemic circumstances. Objective We performed a pilot evaluation of a digital intervention designed to help caregivers of people with LBD address challenges they have experienced, with the end goal of reducing psychological distress in this population. Methods We recruited 15 family caregivers of people with LBD to participate in the quasi-experimental, single-arm, mixed methods study titled Virtual Online Communities for Aging Life Experience–Lewy Body Dementia (VOCALE-LBD). The study offers an 8-week web-based intervention that uses a digital discussion platform and involves moderation, peer-to-peer support, didactic training, and problem-solving skill enactment. Results Participants’ baseline characteristics were the following: mean age 66 (SD 8) years; 14 of 15 (93%) of them were female; all (15/15, 100%) were White; and 8 (53%) of them had at least a postgraduate degree. Throughout the intervention, participants engaged in weekly web-based discussions, generating a total of 434 posts (average 4 posts per week). Attrition was 20% (3/15). Upon study exit, participants showed the following average improvements: 3.0 (SD 6.0) in depression, 8.3 (SD 16.7) in burden, 2.9 (SD 6.8) in stress, and 0.3 (SD 0.8) in loneliness. When looking at the proportion of participants with clinically signiﬁcant improvement versus those with a worsening of ≥0.5 SD for each outcome, we observed net improvements of 50% (6/12), 33% (4/12), 25% (3/12), and 25% (3/12) in depression, loneliness, burden, and stress, respectively. In terms of the benefits of participation, participants reported that participation helped them “a great deal” to (1) improve their understanding of LBD (9/12, 75%), (2) gain confidence in dealing with difficult behaviors of the care recipient (6/12, 50%), and (3) improve in one’s abilities to provide care to the care recipient (4/12, 33%). Conclusions The study generated promising feasibility and preliminary efficacy data for a low-cost, web-based intervention designed for caregivers of persons with LBD. Though the study was not powered for significance, we observed nominal average and net improvements in important psychological outcomes. Moreover, many caregivers reported that study participation helped them better understand the disease, feel more conﬁdent in dealing with difficult behaviors of the care recipient, and improve their ability to care for the care recipient. If validated in future studies, the intervention could be an accessible, on-demand resource for caregivers, enabling them to engage in moderated remote discussions with peers at their own convenience in terms of location, time of the day, and frequency.

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Using an Innovative Discussion Platform to Give Voice to Aging-Related Experiences: A Pilot Study

Cited by 7 publications

References 31 publications

Reactions to COVID-19, information and technology use, and social connectedness among older adults with pre-frailty and frailty

Reactions to COVID-19, information and technology use, and social connectedness among older adults with pre-frailty and frailty

Promoting Problem Solving About Health Management: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Evaluation of a Digital Health Intervention for Older Adults With Pre-Frailty and Frailty

Virtual Intervention for Caregivers of Persons With Lewy Body Dementia: Pilot Quasi-Experimental Single-Arm Study

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